Russia reduces Poland's gas supply

WARSAW, Poland, Sept. 11 (UPI) -- Poland claimed Thursday supplies of natural gas from Russia fell substantially and suddenly this week, suggesting the country is being rebuked for sending gas to Ukraine.

The state gas company in Poland, PGNiG, reported gas volumes from Russia fell 20 percent on Monday and an additional 24 percent Tuesday, a shortfall that forced Poland to stop sending gas to Ukraine in a process called reverse-flow.

Poland and Ukraine rely on purchases from Russia for the bulk of its gas supply, and Ukraine is involved in a pricing dispute with Russia, in addition to accusations Russia is materially supporting separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Hungary and Slovakia, two countries who supply considerably more gas than Poland to Ukraine through the reverse-flow method, have not reported a cut in their supply from Russia. Several months ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Gazprom, the Russian energy corporation, threatened retaliation if EU countries, such as Poland, continued supplying Ukraine with gas. Putin claimed such reverse-flow deliveries could undermine Russia's existing gas contracts with the EU.

Gazprom, in a statement quoted by the Russian news agency RIA Novosti, said, "Currently, exactly the same volume of gas is being delivered to Poland as on previous days - 23m (23 million) cubic meters daily."